title: [Results of conservative treatment of ligament lesions of children's ankle joint--a prospective study].
abstract: There is disagreement in the literature about the ideal treatment of ligamentous injuries of the ankle in children. We examined the results of controlled conservative treatment by means of a prospective study in 28 children, each with a fresh ligamentous ankle injury. In all patients the supinatory talus tilt was between 7 and 15 degrees as compared with the noninjured side. The children were treated with a plaster cast for 6 weeks. The results of the present study were compared with results of two other earlier investigations from our department. In one group the patients had been treated not uniformly conservatively for 1-5 weeks. In another group, patients were treated by operative ligamentous repair (5, 8). At the follow-up examination 82% of the children of the present study showed ligamentous stability, which is approximately the same percentage as it was found in operatively treated children (84%), but lies significantly higher than in inconsequentially conservatively treated patients (74%), (p greater than 0.05). 50% of the children in the present study complained about some discomfort, a number that is significantly higher than that found after operative treatment (30%), (p greater than 0.05). We assume that conservative treatment of fibular ankle lesions is justified in children with supinatory talus tilts between 7-15 degrees as compared with the noninjured side. Ligamentous stability can be expected in 80% of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Univ.-Klinik für Kinderchirurgie Graz.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Linhart
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Höllwarth
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haberlik
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinwender
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016512:Ankle Injuries; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000628:therapy*; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
vernacular_title: Ergebnisse der konservativen Behandlung von Bandläsionen des kindlichen Sprunggelenkes--Eine prospektive Studie.